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The future of mobility is green and electric, of this there should be no doubt. As the first automotive manufacturer to commit to the Paris Agreement, Volkswagen Group knows and understands this well. The Group has set ambitious targets and has invested significantly to become a global leader in e-mobility.
In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), Volkswagen is similarly dedicated to paving the way for a future of sustainable production and mobility. At its production site in Kariega, Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) plans to run production 100% carbon-neutral by 2030. Furthermore, the company is actively pursuing a regional drive towards sustainable mobility across SSA. This push includes emobility in Ghana, Kenya and Rwanda, all of which have already committed to the goals set by the Paris agreement and the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26). However, the future does not exclude the internal combustion engine (ICE) and this has been confirmed with the planned introduction of Euro-7 vehicle emissions standards in Europe from 1 July 2025. VWSA’s approach is therefore two-fold; to facilitate the transition to emobility, but also to improve the conditions that would enable the use of more advanced internal combustion engine technology.
For many years Europe has periodically introduced higher vehicle emissions standards, from Euro-1 through to its current standard of Euro-6. With each subsequent update, the development of modern emissions after-treatment technology has been preceded with the improvement in fuel quality; in other words, has been specified to be ‘cleaner’ and more environmentally friendly.
The converse is thus also true; cleaner fuels promotes the sale and trouble-free operation of Volkswagen vehicles with higher emissions standards while sub-standard, or ‘poor’ fuel quality, will negatively impact both new and old technology vehicles, is worse for the environment and have a negative impact on the vehicle technology.
Another challenge for Africa is that regulations governing emissions and roadworthiness in most SSA countries have been non-existent for many years; however, the regions of East African Community (EAC) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have started to develop such regulations. Two markets leading the way are Morocco and Kenya, who have already reached Euro-4 emissions standards and have Euro-5/6 in their sights.
As stated earlier, it all starts with improved fuel quality. Over the last 20 years Africa has seen the removal of lead from automotive petrol, a great success no doubt, and now the focus has turned to the reduction in sulphur. At the African Petroleum Ministers meeting held in Nairobi on 29-30 November 2022 the focus was to find ways for Africa to fast-track the realization of low-sulphur fuels across the continent. Sulphur occurs naturally in crude oil and should be removed during the refining process. Its presence in fuel reduces the efficiency of catalysts and therefore reductions in sulphur would mean immediately translate into reductions in vehicle emissions and particulate matter, and subsequently increase the life of the catalyst itself.
In addition to sulphur, markets in Africa are challenged with the removal of high levels of metallic additives, like manganese and phosphorous, which poison the catalytic converter and irreversibly reduce the efficiency of the emissions after-treatment technology in vehicles, thus no longer ensuring the vehicle remains within the prescribed emissions standards in which they were designed to operate and leads to higher emissions.
The fuel specifications for automotive petrol cover many other components that need to be controlled in order for trouble-free vehicle operation and impact positively on the environment and human health. Some examples include fuel octane, olefins, aromatics benzene and diesel contamination.
The octane rating is a measure of the fuel’s capacity to resist autoignition, meaning a low octane rating can cause engine damage from auto-ignition in harsh cases. High levels of olefins lead to engine deposit formation, while high aromatics increase engine wear, particle formation and tailpipe emissions, and as benzene is a known human carcinogen, its levels should be strictly controlled.
The availability of cleaner fuels would therefore greatly improve emissions from vehicles in SSA. Today, with poor quality fuels, vehicle manufacturers, importers and traders can only offer older model vehicles with older emissions limits and higher fuel consumption. The introduction of sub-50ppm sulphur fuels, free of metallic additives and contamination, at 95 octane and with the correct levels of olefins, aromatics and benzene will promote the risk free sale of low emission and more efficient Euro-4 emissions vehicles. This needs to be in conjunction with ongoing sampling and analysis of fuels in the market (not only at point of entry) and a process of dealing with poor quality fuels. Coupled with having lower fuel consumption the ultimate benefit from cleaner fuels is a cleaner environment. Higher emissions technology vehicles that meet Euro-5 and Euro-6 emissions limits do so in conjunction with 10ppm sulphur fuels.
This is precisely why the VWSA team has started engaging with various governments and other stakeholders across Africa – particularly in the countries where Volkswagen already has assembly facilities and a sales footprint- in order to improve fuel quality and help create the required legislative framework.
The most successful example has been that of the shift to Euro-4 fuels and emissions standards in Kenya. This shift came about from the initial application of the Euro-4 enabling fuel countrywide, specifically with the introduction of a 2mg/litre limit for manganese, followed by the introduction of Euro-4 emissions standards for motor vehicles. Other examples are Ghana, South Africa and Rwanda. While dates for implementation of the updated fuels and emissions standards are still open, the intention shows how important higher emissions standards are for these markets.
For countries that rely on fuel importation that would mean an updated ‘shopping list’; one that includes the limits mentioned before combined with the full requirement as specified in the Euro-4 enabling standards.
A region as vast and diverse as SSA will not change to zero emission mobility overnight – but Volkswagen’s key markets are definitely willing. Many African governments are taking up the challenge of finding the right mobility solution that works for their market – and Volkswagen wants to find out what it can contribute to these markets. While the promotion of e-mobility has made it to the top of many countries’ agenda, cleaner fuels are also necessary in the interim to enable the use of newer and more modern and efficient engine technologies. To enable this step forward towards lower emission mobility, the hurdles of poor fuel quality must be overcome.
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